Detachable heel lifts



Oct. 13, 1964 Filed Oct. 30, 1962 H. F. THIESSEN DETACHABLE HEEL LIFTS 2 Sheets-Sheet lv HENRY F TH/ESSEN INV EN TOR.

Oct. 1 3 I964 F. THIE'SSEN DETACHABLEi HEEL LIFTS 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi led-001,. 30*, 1962 FIG. 8

HENRY F. TH/ESSEN INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,152,408 DETACHABLE HEEL LIFTS Henry Frank Thiessen, 762 Seminole Ave, St. Paul 7, Minn.

Filed Oct. 39, 1962, Ser. No. 234,058 4 Claims. (CI. 36-36) This invention concerns an improvement in hand replaceable heel lift structures with improved structural reinforcement of high, narrow, and extremely thin heel structure. More particularly, the improvement provides for simplifying and economizing in replacement of mens and womens heel lifts with reinforcing structure which prevents high heel breakage under all normal and even strenuous conditions of use.

The use of solid pins to attach heel lifts are known to the art. Such pins are usually driven into place, or otherwise are fastened by special snap-on and off fasteners as provided in my co-pending application Serial Number 104,056, filed April 19, 1961, now Patent No. 3,109,247, granted November 5, 1963, over which this is an improvement. Such solid pin type heel lift fasteners cause heel vibration between the solid pin and bore, or otherwise many of such pins lack sheer strength. In general use it is found that solid pins cause fracture, cracking, and breakage of the heel structure. Mens shoes are not known to have a readily hand replaceable heel lift which does not require nailing to the heel portion of the shoe.

Accordingly, it is an object of this improvement to provide resilient and tight fitting, but easily insertable and replaceable rolled metal insert heel lift mounting pin structure which makes heel lifts easily replaceable and renders extremely narrow stemmed heels substantially indestructable under conditions of ordinary wear, and even exceptionally strenuous conditions of strain.

Another object of this improvement, in replaceable heel lifts, is to afford a readily removable and replaceable resilient pin insert structure having easily insertable and tight fitting frictional engagement to securely hold the pin and heel lift in place, yet provide economical simplicity in replacement in shoe heel construction while strengthening the heel itself against cracking and breakage.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is exemplary of a heel structure having a central bore pictured in cross-section;

FIGURE 2 is exemplary of a heel structure having a central bore and provided with one form of guide means frictionally engaging the resilient pin mounting the heel lift pictured in cross-section;

FIGURE 3 symbolizes, in cross-section, a heel structure with a modified and preferred resilient guide means more expicitly shown in the top view of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a resilient insert pin and heel lift;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the resilient guide means symbolized in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view on lines A-A of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a schematic plan view of a modification showing a readily replaceable mans heel lift structure; and

FIGURE 8 is a partial view of a mans heel structure provided with the replaceable lift structure of FIGURE 7.

With reference to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a heel structure Iii made of conventional plastic, wood, or metal as is well-known to the art. This heel is provided with a centered bore 11 drilled therethrough. As will be apparent the length of the bore should be drilled or 3,152,408 Patented Get. 13, 1964 preferably formed the full length of the resilient insert pin, or its guide means, as hereinafter described, but not necessarily the full heel length. The detail of attachment of such heels to suitable shoe bodies is well-known to the art and needs no detail of description herein. Further, the manner of production of such heel structures of plastic, wood, or metal is Well-known to the art.

The essential feature of this improvement concerns the one or more resilient pin attachment of rolled steel and the like. The bore 11 may be simply a hole drilled in the heel body proper for simplifying attachment of the heel lifts as shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 8. However, such bore hole is preferably lined with a hollow guide I2 which is driven into place as shown in the modifications of FIGURES 2 and 3. For high heels which are extremely thin and narrow, there is preferably provided a resilient guide 17, as shown in bore 16 of FIGURE 3. The guide 17 is of rolled resilient steel, as illustrated in FIGURE 5.

With regard the insert pin 15 for mounting the lift Ztl to one or more of such heels, as indicated, it is made of rolled or coiled spring steel. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, the rolled pin 15 is formed from a thin spring steel sheet wrapped, as in spiral or overlapping form upon itself and forming overlapping leaves which are slightly flexible relative to each other. The upper end 18 of the insert pin is chamfered at an angle of about 5-20 or more, to permit easy entry of the pin into a suitable shoe heel here or tubular guide means lining the heel bore, as described.

The lower end of pin 15 is provided with an enlargement or head 19 spot welded thereto, or otherwise the end of the pin may be spread, flared, or suitably shaped to afford holding means about which the heel lift it is molded or constructed. For example, a leather lift, plastic lift, or steel lift is molded or secured about the enlargement in the same, or conventional, manner as is provided for solid lift pin structures.

By reason of the flexibility of the spring steel leaves being in coiled form or overlapping relationship, the pin 15 is squeezed into bore II of heel Ill. Otherwise a suitable pin mounting guide lines the bore as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The chamfered end 18 of resilient pin 15 permits the pin to be easily started into the bore, or guide, and manual pressure contracts the spring forcing the pin 15 and heel lift 2d into place. The expanding and frictional engagement of the pin 15, against the bore or guides internal surface, securely mounts the lift and locks it into position. Surprisingly, the pin cannot be easily withdrawn without giving it a definite forceable twist which effects a winding action of the relative overlapping spring leaves and permits its withdrawal by hand or use of home pliers. Thus the pin is easily replaceable but still not dislodged by the abuse of walking on the lift 20.

As illustrated with reference to FIGURE 2, the tubular or cylinder shaped guide I2 of unitary single thickness is driven into the bore 13 of heel I4. This guide 12 is relatively permanently mounted and serves to prevent wear of the internal bore 13 by pin IS. The external diameter of pin 15, in expanded condition slightly exceeds the internal diameter of bore guide 12 so that upon being forced into the guide, the spring tension effected by pin I5 secures the lift in position on the heel and prevents the pin from being withdrawn by normal and even rough wear.

As provided in FIGURES 4 and 5, the guide 17 is similar to pin 15 and a coil wrap or roll of thin sheet spring structure. In either case, both the pin 15 and guide 17 are preferably formed of spring steel, as carbon steel, alloy steel, chrome stainless steel, or nickel stainless steel, as is known to the art. Such spring structure usually has a hardness of a Rockwell C 43-55 or is otherwise Work hardened, in a manner as known to the art. As a substitute for the spring metal coil, it may be desirable to utilize a similarly designed hard plastic resin pin or structure having comparable resiliency. Such resins, for example, as the u'rethanes, plasticized vinyl resins and the like of controlled hardness may be used in less preferred modified structures, as described. The surfaces of such pin and bore structures may be roughened for better interfacial contact. Other less desirable modifications as providing a coiled spring guide, as described, with solid pin structure may be utilized.

With reference to FIGURES 7 and 8 there is provided a heel lift 25 for a mans boots or shoes. The lift 25 is of suitable molded or leather material as known to the art. Instead of requiring nails for mounting lift 25 on shoe body 29, resilient pins 26, 27, and 28, of shorter structure but similar construction to that herein described for the single resilient pin heel lift attachment, are also similarly forced into corresponding bore holes in heel portion 30. Such bores may be provided with or without guides, as heretofore described. The detail of further showing bores and guides in heel portion 30 appears an unnecessary duplication.

The resilient pins 26, 27, and 23 are preferably provided with suitable heads as shown at 33 and 3 with a similar head on 27 (not shown) for anchoring in the shoe heel lift 25. While only one resilient pin might be possible on some mens shoe structures, it is preferred that a plurality of such pins be used for more positively holding the lift portion 25 in place and against the normal stress of use. Where more than one resilient pin on lift 25 is frictionally mounted in its corresponding guide or bore, the lift portion 25 can be readily taken off by use of a screw driver or other instrument used to pry the pins out of the corresponding bores or guides in the heel structure portion 30.

In either of the above cases of the added lifts, each serves as easily detachable, yet firmly secured, heel lift portions of men and womens shoes. Accordingly, it will be recognized that whether one or more resilient pins are used they will have an overlapping or coil cross-section and radial spring action. Such action permits use of fastening pins in bores and guides of uneven shape. The multiple spring roll arrangement in either or both the pin and guide provides extremely high sheer strength and safeguards exceedingly thin heels from breakage due to twist and shock vibrations. This also reduces the tendency of the heel proper to become brittle from use. It will be apparent that the pin diameter size and length will relatively correspond to the required size and depth of the bore or seated guide means in the heel structure in which the rolled spring mounting pin for securing the heel lift is inserted. From this description it will be apparent that certain modifications, as provided herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this improvement as provided herein and the terms of the claims.

I claim:

1. A reinforced and strengthened heel structure having a bore extending substantially therethrough, a longitudinally rigid spirally wound and radially resilient hollow lift mounting pin member having a heel lift secured on one end thereof, said hollow pin member being disposed within said bore and fixedly mounted therein by the radial expansion of said pin into frictional holding engagement with the inner wall of said bore, said longitudinally rigid radially resilient hollow pin member reinforcing and strengthening said heel structure.

2. A reinforced heel structure comprising a relatively high heel having a broad top portion tapering to a narrow bottom portion, said heel having a bore extending therethrough from said narrow bottom portion, a non-extensible spirally coi ed and radially expansible lift mounting pin, said pin being yieldably secured in said bore by frictional engagement of the inner wall thereof by the radial expansion of said spirally coiled pin, and thereby being operative to reinforce and strengthen said heel structure, and a heel lift attached to an end of said pin externally of said bore.

3. A reinforced heel structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said bore is provided with a non-extensible radially expensive resilient liner guide means for said spirally coiled pin, said liner guide means being frictionally secured in said bore by the radial expansion of said liner guide means.

4. A reinforced heel structure comprising a relatively high heel having a relatively broad top portion tapering to a relatively narrow bottom portion, said heel having a central bore extending therethrough, a spirally rolled radially expansible and non-extensible resilient hollow pin holding liner and guide means frictionally secured in reinforcing relation to said heel in said central bore by the radial expansion thereof, radially resilient and expansible pin means frictionally secured within said hollow liner by the radial expansion thereof within the bore of said hollow liner and guide means, and a heel lift attached to one end of said radially resilient pin means externally from said bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,935,800 Ronci May 10, 1960 3,055,125 Ronci Sept. 25, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 629,035 Germany June 29, 1938 

1. A REINFORCED AND STRENGTHENED HEEL STRUCTURE HAVING A BORE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THERETHROUGH, A LONGITUDINALLY RIGID SPIRALLY WOUND AND RADIALLY RESILIENT HOLLOW LIFT MOUNTING PIN MEMBER HAVING A HEEL LIFT SECURED ON ONE END THEREOF, SAID HOLLOW PIN MEMBER BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BORE AND FIXEDLY MOUNTED THEREIN BY THE RADIAL EXPANSION OF SAID PIN INTO FRICTIONAL HOLDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER WALL OF SAID BORE, SAID LONGITUDINALLY RIGID 